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In the context of sustainable materials, this study explores the effects of accelerated weathering testing and bacterial biodegradation on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/rapeseed microfiber biocomposites. Accelerated weathering, simulating outdoor environmental conditions, and bacterial biodegradation, representing natural degradation processes in soil, were employed to investigate the changes in the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of these materials during its post-production life cycle. Attention was paid to the assessment of the change of structural, mechanical and calorimetric properties of alkali and N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO)-treated rapeseed microfiber (RS)-reinforced plasticized PHBV composites before and after accelerated weathering. Results revealed that accelerated weathering led to an increase in stiffness, but a reduction in tensile strength and elongation at break, of the investigated PHBV biocomposites. Additionally, during accelerated weathering, the crystallinity of PHBV biocomposites increased, especially in the presence of RS, due to both the hydrolytic degradation of the polymer matrix and the nucleating effect of the filler. It has been observed that an increase in PHBV crystallinity, determined by DSC measurements, correlates with the intensity ratio I1225/1180 obtained from FTIR-ATR data. The treatment of RS microfibers increased the biodegradation capability of the developed PHBV composites, especially in the case of chemically untreated RS. All the developed PHBV composites demonstrated faster biodegradation in comparison to neat PHBV matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of agricultural biomass residues as reinforcement in recycled polymer matrices. In this study, recycled polypropylene and high-density polyethylene composites (rPPPE) filled with three types of biomass residues, sweet clover straws (SCS), buckwheat straws (BS) and rapeseed straws (RS), are presented. The effects of the fiber type and the fibers content on the rheological behavior, mechanical properties (including tensile, flexural and impact strength), thermal stability and moisture absorbance were determined, in addition to morphological analysis. It was revealed that the addition of SCS, BS or RS increased the materials' stiffness and strength. The reinforcement effect increased as the loading of the fibers was increased, especially for BS composites in the flexural test. After the moisture absorbance test, it was found that the reinforcement effect slightly increased for the composites with 10% fibers but decreases with 40% fibers. The results highlight that the selected fibers are a feasible reinforcement for recycled polyolefin blend matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic fibers have been used in polymer composites for a long time but their treatment process is still challenging due to insufficient efficiency and environmental impact. This research analyses the influence of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) on the structure and properties of three types of lignocellulosic fibers - sweet clover (SCS), buckwheat (BS) and rapeseed straws (RS). The fibers were treated with an NMMO solution at 90 °C for different periods of time (80 min, 180 min, 300 min and 30 h). It was detected that after treatment in a dilute NMMO solution, non-cellulosic substances were removed, the morphology and aspect ratio were affected and the fibers were characterized by higher thermal stability. However, the results show that before using NMMO for the production of microfibers, additional research on the pretreatment process will be necessary because an insufficient aspect ratio value and surface morphology were obtained. The current research shows that it is not economically feasible to process fibers using NMMO for the production of reinforcement for polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the alkali treatment effect on three types of agricultural residues: sweet clover (SCS), buckwheat (BS), and rapeseed straws (RS). The aim of the study was to find the optimal treatment conditions for each straw type, and to assess the potential of sweet clover straw as reinforcement for polymer composites in comparison to buckwheat and rapeseed. The straws were ground and treated for 15, 30, and 60 min using NaOH at concentrations of 2, 5, and 10%. To investigate the treatment results on the SCS, BS, and RS fibers, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were used. Results indicate that the optimal room-temperature alkaline-treatment conditions of SCS fibers were the same as those for RS treated with 2% NaOH solution for 30 min. These conditions were milder in comparison to those used for the treatment of BS: 60 min in a 5% NaOH solution. During the treatment, noncellulosic substances were largely removed, and the aspect ratio of the fibers was increased, and the destruction temperature, crystallinity, and morphology were also affected. Consequently, SCS has promising potential for use in polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary nanocomposites, composed of polyoxymethylene (POM), ethylene octene copolymer and zinc oxide (ZnO), are prepared by melt compounding. The effects of two types of ethylene-octene copolymers, differing with α-octene content (38% for EOC38 and 17% for EOC17), as well as nanostructured ZnO on thermal behavior of POM are investigated. The content of EOC in the POM based composites is varied between 10 and 50 wt%, while the content of ZnO is 2 wt%. Thermal behavior of POM based systems are studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results of thermogravimetric analysis show that, by rising either the elastomer or ZnO content, thermal stability of the investigated POM composites can be increased. The modifying effect of EOC17 in respect of thermal resistance is somewhat greater than that of EOC38. Simultaneous addition of EOC and ZnO to POM is synergistic with respect to thermal stability of the composite material. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:772-778, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]